Some Girls Are Worth Chasing After
by e.brewer777
Summary: This is twilight in Mike Newton's POV. Need I say more? Have fun getting into his head as he watches Edward catch the attention of the girl he wants the most. please R
1. Prologue: Someone New

**A/N: Sorry to break it to you, but this is the last chapter I will be writing for a while. I will be in Seattle for a week, and I can't write any more. And sorry it's so short, but it's a prologue. The actual chapters will be longer. Thanks!**

**Prologue: Someone New**

Everybody knew. The chief's daughter from Phoenix was coming to live in Forks. She was going to come _here._

I didn't know what I exactly expected. I thought she would be sporty, skinny, tan, blonde, with big sunglasses and a sexy body.

That was just the image I conjured up when I thought about girls raised in the sun. I remembered my own experience in California, and shook my head. I was being to stereotypical. Most of the girls from where I grew up weren't anything like what I thought Isabella would be. They were plain, in my opinion.

But I wasn't being picky at all. I had plenty of girlfriends when I was in California, but I obviously wasn't too affected when my parents decided to move to Forks. I did miss the sun, but was looking forward to change.

I always did love change.

It was very hard to ignore the way Jessica stared at me and made googly eyes at me and obsessed over me. At first, I enjoyed the attention. But it got extremely annoying after a while, and it was time for some change. Yes, I was looking forward to Isabella's move here to Forks.

It didn't appear to me at first how cocky I was being. I actually assumed that this new girl would automatically fall head over heels for me, being the most popular guy in school. But I checked myself, and ran my fingers through my hair.

I didn't want her thinking I was a self-centered jerk. I really was a nice person, but sometimes I could think the shallowest thoughts, and they confused me. I didn't want to be self-absorbed, however, I couldn't help but allow myself to hope.

I sighed heavily. _Just be yourself, and she might actually like you, _I inwardly thought.

I realized again, that I was being too hasty. Who was to say that I would like her? Maybe she was as shallow as I could be sometimes.

But thinking about her thoughtful, shy father, I shook that thought from my head. No, Isabella must be something special, I decided. Moving away from the sun you grew up in to live in a rainy town such as Forks took some guts.

I already admired her for that. I remembered how hard it was for me to transition, to even just the wardrobe.

I had been so thoughtful for the last few minutes, that I hadn't even noticed I was eating dinner with my family, and that my father had asked me a question.

"Are you okay, Mike?" My mother asked me worriedly.

I swallowed my pizza and hastily answered her, not wanting her to worry about me. "Oh, sorry mom. I was just thinking about something."

"Watch out world! Mike is using his brain for something!" My dad teased, waving his hands and looking into the ceiling.

"Ha ha, very funny dad. I'd like to see_ you_ use _your _brain every once in a while too." I was smirking as I wiped my greasy hands on a napkin.

"I asked if you wanted to continue where we left off on the game," my dad asked humorously.

"You two and your video games. I'm going to go out for a hike. Your bickering sure can get annoying," muttered my mom as she cleared the dishes.

"You're not going to watch again? It's fun when you watch us beat each other up!"

"Let's just hope you don't actually get hurt and you stick to using the controllers!"

"Don't worry mom, hasn't happened yet!"

"No, not yet."

I used her thoughtful words as an excuse to leave the table, and almost escaped before she grabbed my shoulder.

"Dishes first, you know the rules." I grumbled angrily and turned back around. I wasn't allowed to play video games until my chores were finished. They were so annoying though!

I grudgingly got to work. We had so many piled dishes, that by the time I was finished rinsing and drying them all, my father stood up from playing the game and told me it was time to go to bed.

Reluctantly, and with anger, I went to my room and sulked on my bed. My parents were so unfair sometimes! But I knew tomorrow was going to be better. It was Isabella's first day.

**A/N: Thanks for reading the prologue of Mike's story! I'm sorry if I offended anyone by the way Mike thinks, or if they didn't portray him really being like that. I wanted to make it clear that I ADORE mike Newton (not as much as Edward though) and I'm not meaning to be mean to him in any way. I'm just trying to get in his head, which is really hard, considering I'm not a guy and I don't know how they think. However, with the little knowledge that I have, I hope I can make a good enough story for you. Thanks again!**


	2. Ch 1: First Sight

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Some lines were taken directly out of the book.**

**Chapter 1: First Sight**

I woke up especially early the next morning, beating my alarm clock by an hour. It usually took both my alarm and my parents to get me up in the morning, but I was too excited about school today. I tried to hide my enthusiasm when my parents came in to find me eating breakfast. It was a small town and they would know what I was excited about.

"Mike, I've never seen you wake up so early! You must be excited about something!" my mother exclaimed. My cheeks flushed in embarrassment as I gulped down a bite of toast.

"Mom, I've got a project due today and I have to meet early with the teacher to see if I did it right. I don't want to get docked points if I can help it," I lied. I wasn't very convincing, but she went with it and headed for the fridge to make herself breakfast.

In order to play out my lie, I had to wait at home a little while. I couldn't show up at school before the gates were open! My parents would never believe my little made-up story.

I spent longer than usual perfecting my looks. I didn't want to look like a disaster on her first day of school!

When it was safe enough for me to leave the house, I started up the car and pulled out of the driveway. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, and I got it out, keeping one eye on the road. It was Jessica. She was saying how excited she was about the dance coming up, and how cool it was we were getting a new girl in the school. I responded half-heartedly, a little annoyed at her petty remarks. All I could think about was Isabella Swan. My heart thumped as I thought about her name.

_You're being foolish, Mike. _I told myself. _You haven't even met her yet…_

For some reason, I didn't really care. I parked my car rather carelessly in a random spot. I had basically every spot to choose from, for the parking lot was empty. I saw an unfamiliar red old Chevrolet truck.

Maybe that was her car! It was really old fashioned, and probably really slow too, and didn't really seem to fit the personality for her that I imagined her with.

Hmm…I had a lot to learn from this new girl…

I jumped out of the car and locked it, half-running out of the parking lot. I decided I would be the first one to introduce myself to her.

I spent most of the morning circling the school, looking everywhere for this strange girl. Where was she?

When the bell rang, it completely caught me off guard. I finally noticed a crowd of people all around the campus. _Crap_, I thought to myself. _I'm going to be late for class_.

All my classes passed very slowly. I thought I was growing a beard and sprouting white hairs by the time the lunch bell finally rang. She was in none of my classes so far! I ran out the door and scurried to the cafeteria. I didn't see her, so I waited in the lunch line, and purchased the first things I touched. I was hardly paying attention o anything anymore. After I bought the food from the lunch lady, I turned around, and there she was with Jessica!

She was walking hesitantly, as if trying to pay attention to Jessica's babbles, but unsuccessfully. I tried to suppress a giggle while trying to catch her eyes. I basically could have taken a trip to fail town for the amount of attention I was getting from her. None…

She kept glancing at the Cullen table. Who else would she be staring at than Edward Cullen? Who was I to be so cocky that I actually believed I could stand a chance? He looked at her absently and then turned away as if he was acknowledging someone who was calling his name. What the hell was that about? The nerve!

If he was going to steal all the attention, he might as well be thankful for it! But then another thought came across my mind. What if he showed her no attention? What if she gave up like Jessica did, and settled for me? I smiled, knowing that he wasn't really into girls that way. Sometimes I had to wonder about his sanity.

I thought about going over and introducing myself, but I could never bring myself to do it. I decided to wait until Cullen rejected her. Then trustworthy Mike could save the day. The bell rang and I let out a moan. I hated biology.

I saw her walking with Angela, who was in my biology class as well. I dared to hope that they were headed for the same place.

I felt a bead of sweat roll down my forehead as I gulped and stood up. It was a lot of effort to keep moving one foot in front of the other. _You're confident! _I kept telling myself. I was waiting for my reassurances to have any meaning.

I didn't know how it happened, but suddenly I was in my class, sitting in my seat without even realizing it. I searched the room for Angela, but didn't see her there. Had I really beaten her here? Maybe she was taking Isabella to her class first… My heart sank and I realized I probably wasn't in _any_ of her classes.

I peeked up at the clock and realized the bell was about to ring. I turned to the front of the classroom and took out my homework, stealing quick glances at the door every few seconds.

Angela walked in, and to my bewilderment, so did Isabella. _Yes! _I silently said to myself. Today was going to be a good day. I would finally have the chance to introduce myself. I looked back at Cullen to give him a sneer, and I noticed the seat next to his was the only empty seat in the room. _Damn, now I'll never get a chance to talk to her, _I mourned.

The class finally started, and I was forced to turn my attention to the mundane teacher. Did he really expect me to pay attention? I wished with all my might that I could be in Cullen's seat. Life was so unfair!

I slyly took a peek behind me to see if Edward would be competition. Isabella's eyes looked frightened, and she looked like she was trying to hide under her hair. Edward looked tense and fierce. And I had to admit that it frightened me a little too. I was very relieved that things didn't seem to be going well between the two of them, but I couldn't enjoy the look he kept giving her.

He looked like he wanted to kill her. A class rolled by, I kept an eye on him, making sure he didn't do anything stupid. I hated the way he made her brow furrow and her eyes worry. It made me want to punch him into a wall or something. I smiled slightly out of the idea. It would be a lot of fun…

The bell finally rang, and Cullen practically jumped from his seat and strolled out of the classroom. I saw Bella collecting all her notes and putting them in her backpack. She looked rather distressed. This was my chance.

"Aren't you Isabella Swan?" I asked her, knowing the answer already. She still looked frightened, and I had another urge to kick Cullen in a not so friendly area.

"Bella," she responded, looking up. She looked distracted. I had to get her mind off of him.

"I'm Mike," I said lamely. _I've been waiting to meet you all day. You're really hot. Will you go out with me?_

"Hi Mike." Hearing my name from her voice filled me with excitement.

"Do you need any help finding your next class?" _Please say yes. Please, please, please, please, plea-_

"I'm headed to gym, actually. I think I can find it." _SCORE! SHE'S IN MY CLASS!_

"That's my next class too," I responded quickly, poorly disguising my excitement. _She is in two of my classes! We could walk over together from lunch…and make out during passing period to gym…and make out in my car…and I can drive her home…_

I thought she looked excited to be walking with me, and I hoped it wasn't just because she was happy with any kindness after her encounter with Cullen. I told her a lot about me. She didn't seem kike much of a talkative person, which was a nice break from Jessica. She seemed interested in the fact that I came from California. We both came from hotter places. We had something in common!

I had to make sure that the Cullen kid was out of the picture, otherwise, my making out plan would never work. So I asked the first thing that came to mind. "So, did you stab Edward Cullen with a pencil or what? I've never seen him act like that." She cringed, and I wondered if I asked the right question.

"Was that the boy I sat next to in Biology?" _Even better! She doesn't even know his name! Oh I am so going to make out with her…_

"Yes, he looked like he was in pain or something." Again, wondering If I said too much.

"I don't know. I never spoke to him."

I saw that we were at the girls' dressing room, but I wasn't ready to say goodbye yet. I had one more chance to say what was on my mind. "He's a weird guy." I deliberately lingered by her, making sure she wouldn't go in the dressing room yet. "If I were lucky enough to sit by you, I would have talked to you."

I turned around, feeling my cheeks flush. Had I gone too far?

In Gym I played volleyball, my mind on Bella the whole time. I was trying to recall the conversation we had earlier, analyzing it and looking to see if what I said was too much. She didn't play because it was her first day. I wondered if she was any good at sports. The girl I imagined was good at volleyball, like on the beach and stuff. But Bella wasn't anything like I imagined. She was even better.

The bell rang and I was forced to go change. I tried to run through it as fast as I could, so I could catch up to Bella afterwards, but she was faster. She didn't have to change back into her clothes so she had left.

I walked to my car and absentmindedly got in and put the key in the ignition. I looked out the windshield to check if I was safe to pull out, when I saw Edward Cullen stalking angrily out of the administration's office. The look on his ace reminded me of the Biology incident. Could that mean that Bella was in there?

I decided not to pull out just yet, but to wait and see if Bella would come out. I told myself that I just wanted to make sure Cullen didn't murder her. She walked out finally, her face sunken and distressed. I was considering going over there and comforting her, but by the time I had worked up the courage, she was in her truck and driving away.

"At least I don't have to worry about _him," _I murmured to myself. I started the car and headed home myself.


	3. Ch 2: Routines

**Chapter 3: Routines**

Pretty soon, my life went into a basic routine. I had discovered that I had English with Bella, so I was able to walk her to most of her classes. I always got those evil glares from Eric, which made me laugh. She chose _me, _not _him. _At lunch I would catch up with her before she got a chance to sit down, and steer her over to my table with a whole bunch of my friends. Eric seemed to always find a way to sit at our table. It annoyed me, but Bella wasn't paying any attention to him, so I let it pass.

She always seemed distracted by something, but she talked to Jessica and me when we started conversations. Every lunch I would first get Bella to the table, glance at the Cullen table to find my only competition not there, talk casually with her, and then walk her to her next class. I would always slyly follow her to her seat and talk to her until the bell rang. I usually talked about my upcoming beach trip. I hated that bell. It meant I had to go sit by my lab partner, who was not the type of girl I would be into. Edward still was never there, though, so I knew I was safe.

That period was usually long, because I couldn't get away with turning around and getting peeks of her, so I had nothing to do. When the bell finally rang again, I would get up and walk her to our next class, and talk to her until she went into the girl's locker room. Then I would change really fast so I could be there when she was done and talk to her again before the bell rang again.

She was always faster, though, and already in a conversation with someone else, so I never got my chance. We played volleyball that week, and it was so cute how clumsy she was. She always seemed to get hurt or hurt someone else, so I was the hero who got to save the day. She seemed really thankful when I would jump in front of her and spike it for her, instead of letting her do it and inevitably let someone get hurt.

I still struggled to catch her after school though, because she was so fast at changing and by the time I was done, she was already in her car, getting ready to pull away. I remembered the second day of school; she was sitting in her car, reading a list of some sort before she reluctantly drove away. I could have helped her with whatever was on that list, but I wasn't fast enough!

I enjoyed that week of school. No Cullen, and lots of Bella. It got to the point that I was praying that kid transferred to a different school.

Monday morning seemed like any other day. I woke up, had a pop tart, got ready as fast as I could but tried to look my nicest at the same time, and then I drove to the high school, thinking of Bella the whole time. It wasn't raining so I knew she would be in a good mood, and it was colder than usual, so I wore more than one jacket, just in case she got cold and needed one of mine.

In English I sat down next to her and we were given a test for the book _Wuthering Heights._ I hadn't read the book yet, so I tried peeking at her paper. She was so smart! Neither Bella, or the teacher caught me, but I also couldn't see all her answers. I was just hoping I got a decent grade on it.

After class was over, and we stepped outside, I noticed it was snowing.

"Wow," I said. "It's snowing." I looked over at her face and saw her looking all around her with a disgusted expression.

"Ew," was her only reply, which shocked me.

"Don't you like snow?"

"No. That means it's too cold for rain," she said matter-of-factly. "Besides, I thought it was supposed to come down in flakes – you know, each one unique and all that. These just look like the ends of Q-tips."

"Haven't you ever seen snow fall before?" I asked incredulously.

"Sure I have." She said calmly, and then paused. "On TV."

This made me laugh. So this was her first snow experience? With me? I wonder if she would let me kiss her. That would be a _perfect _snow experience…

While I was imagining her lips pressed against mine, I felt a big, squishy ball of dripping snow smack into the back of my head. I spun around real fast to see Eric's retreating figure walking away. I bent over and began scraping together a pile of snow that was bigger than the one that hit me.

"I'll see you at lunch, okay?" Bella said, but I was a little distracted. "Once people start throwing wet stuff, I go inside."

I just nodded, not wanting to be rude, but not wanting my dignity to be hurt either. I stalked the back of Eric's head, and my eyes narrowed. When I was in throwing distance, I aimed, and chucked the snowball as hard as I could. When I was throwing it, I knew it was off center, and watched it leave my hands with horror. It was going right towards the face of my teacher for next period. She didn't see it coming, and it hit her perfectly in the face.

I couldn't move; I was so horrified. She looked in my direction and then our eyes locked. She motioned with her finger for me to come over there so I did.

"Newton, what are you playing at?"

"Uh. Ma'am, I didn't mean to… I uh…"

"That's a detention for you. Now get in class and get your homework out!"

I could feel my ears getting hot, but I did what she said. I hoped that the rest of my day wasn't going to be like this.

I decided during class that I was going to forget about this. I wasn't allowed to dwell on it (until detention at least). Bella would know something was up if I worried about it all day and I didn't want her to know about that experience.

After class, I avoided eye contact with the teacher and rushed out the door. On my way to the cafeteria, I saw Bella and Jessica walking to the cafeteria, and I rushed to make it to the door. I slipped and fell, my hair getting in the snow. I tried to laugh it off, and by the time I met up with them, water was dripping from my hair, my cheeks were rosy, and I was laughing excitedly.

I was hinting at the snowball fight we were planning after school while talking to Jessica about it, hoping Bella would hear. We were getting in line just like always, when Bella halted and bowed her head. Jessica said something, and I wasn't quite sure what, but Bella just seemed embarrassed. "What's with Bella?" I asked Jessica.

"Nothing," Bella replied with a small voice. "I'll just get a soda today." We proceeded to the end of the line.

"Aren't you hungry?" Jessica asked.

"Actually, I feel a little sick."

Uh oh! Was it something I did? I tried to act normal by purchasing my food, and then we all sat at the usual table.

I kept asking Bella how she was feeling. She seemed annoyed, so I stopped, thinking it really was my fault she was acting weird I tried to replay everything from today in my head but I couldn't find any way I could have offended her.

Then I saw her glance up at the Cullen table, and I smacked my head. Of course! _He _was back. This really pissed me off. Everything was perfect, and now he came back and was going to ruin it all!

"Bella, what are you staring at?" I heard Jessica ask her. _Edward, _I grumbled internally.

At that moment Edward shifted his gaze to look at Bella. Then looked away._ The nerve!_

"Edward Cullen is staring at you," Jessica giggled, and it made me want to wring her neck. Bella looked embarrassed and hung her head low.

"He doesn't look angry, does he?" Bella asked. What kind of a question was that?

"No," Jessica replied, looking as surprised as I was by the strange question. "Should he be?"

"I don't think he likes me," she said quietly. _He better not._ I thought. _Or I'll personally kill him. _She put her head down on her arm.

"The Cullens don't like anybody… well, they don't notice anybody enough to like them. But he's still staring at you." Jessica said with a smile.

"Stop looking at him," Bella hissed at her, and I was hoping that this was a sign that Bella and Cullen would never be.

I decided to quickly change the subject so she wouldn't have time to think of Edward too much. I discussed the snowball battle after school today, which brought a frown to Bella's face. She didn't like snow, I forgot.

When we were getting ready to walk to Biology, we saw the snow had vanished. Everyone groaned except for Bella, I noticed. Maybe it was a good thing we couldn't have the fight after school anymore. Bella wouldn't have wanted it.

I couldn't help but complain about it though. I was so looking forward to this!

I didn't hover by her desk as usual. She seemed like she wanted to be left alone, and she was doodling all over her notebook instead. I saw Edward walk in the room, and I smirked at him, which made him smile. I decided I would listen closely to what they said, to see if it was anything I should be worried about.

"Hello," I heard Cullen say to her. "My name is Edward Cullen. I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan." _And she's all mine, dude! Back off!_

"H-how do you know my name?" she stammered: a bad sign.

He laughed and I clenched my fists in anger. "Oh, I think everyone knows your name. The whole town's been waiting for you to arrive." _What a smart ass…_

"No," she persisted. "I meant, why did you call me Bella?" _Maybe she didn't want him to call her by her nickname. That would be fine. _

"Do you prefer Isabella?"

"No, I like Bella," she answered back quickly. _Damn it…_ "But I think Charlie – I mean my dad – must call me Isabella behind my back – that's what everyone here seems to know me as."

"Oh," he said lamely.

I couldn't hear any more because Mr. Banner started the class. I tried to concentrate on what he explained but I couldn't keep my thoughts from straying to Bella and Edward.

_What did she think of him? Did she like him?_

"Get started," Mr. Banner commanded. My partner started looking through the microscope and she tried to find out what it was. We tried comparing two slides over and over again, but couldn't tell whether it was prophase or anaphase.

I gave up and started listening to Bella and Edward again.

"Did you get contacts?" She blurted out.

"No," Edward replied after a while.

She mumbled something but I couldn't hear it. Then she said, "I thought there was something different about your eyes.

I saw Mr. Banner pass my table and I tried to get back to work. He said a few things I couldn't hear because I stopped trying to listen. I tried to keep my mind off of things by singing a song in my head over and over again. It almost worked.

I unintentionally stopped singing in my head and listened again.

"Am I annoying you?" _Please say yes, please say yes._

"Not exactly. I'm more annoyed at myself. My face is so easy to read – my mother always calls me her open book."

"On the contrary, I find you very difficult to read." _UGH! I wanted to kill him!_

You must be a good reader then," she replied.

"Usually." I imagined what it would be like to punch him into a wall. This idea was appealing to me.

The bell finally rang and I hurried to Bella's side, thankful that Cullen had left.

"Cullen seemed friendly enough today," I grumbled.

"I wonder what was with him last Monday."

We walked to Gym and I talked, but she didn't seem to be paying any attention. Was Cullen on her mind?

Volleyball was interesting. I blocked everything so she didn't have to do anything unless we were serving.

Again, she changed faster than me, so she was fluffing her hair out by the time I got out. She was _so_ hot!

I saw her glance at Cullen, shoot backwards with her vehicle, and stomp on the brakes abruptly.

_Just perfect,_ I thought to myself.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry it's taken me so long to update. Marching band and AP classes have been sucking up my time. However, today was a holiday, so I thought I should update. Now I should probably get back to homework. Thanks! Please review! :)**


	4. Ch 3: Why is He Faster Than Me?

A/N: Hey, remember me?? I'm back!! My AP tests are over. I'm so sorry for not updating for like a million years it seems like. But I'm back and I'm going to try to update sooner from now on. Just for clarification, I am not changing any of the events that go on in twilight. I am simply telling it from our dear Mike's POV. I'm not going to make him do anything that he doesn't do already in twilight. I'm just going to tell what's in his head at the time. HOWEVER….if Stephenie doesn't tell us much about poor little Mike in some parts, then I get to make it up. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own twilight. Some parts are taken directly from the book.

Chapter 3: Why is He Faster than Me?

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

I hated my alarm clock with a passion. They cut off my beautiful dreams where I had the girl and everything was going right. I waved my arm around until I found the snooze button, and it got instantly cold. Just my arm being exposed to the chilly air caused my whole body to shake. There was no way I was going back to bed. I was fully awake now.

I ran to my closet and found a huge warm jacket to put around me for the time being. I noticed my window across the room was frosted, so I walked over it to investigate. Snow! Yes!

Many different fantasies came into my head all at once. I imagined picking up a huge snowball, all cold and slick, and chucking it at his face; and stealing the girl of course. Bella would be so impressed with my strength and aim that she would fall in love with me and she would be mine. I thought about how it would feel to put my arm around her and stroke her beautiful brown hair. How it would feel to steer her away from Edward Cullen, and to steal a long sweet kiss.

My mom opened the door, which brought me back to reality. However, I couldn't keep my mind from going back, so my head was in a daze while I got ready. I saw the icy driveway and thought about putting snow chains on all my tires. But I knew that I wouldn't have the time, so I decided to take a chance. Instead I would drive very slowly and carefully, making sure I was in complete control of the car at all times.

It was easy to stay alert because my car was taking forever to heat up and the cold air kept my thoughts clear and focused on the road. By the time I got to the school my car was just starting to warm up. I cursed inwardly at myself as I took the keys out of the ignition.

I looked around out of habit and spotted Bella about five cars away from me. She was looking at her tires, so I followed her gaze and saw something silver on them. I looked closer and realized that she had snow chains on her tires. I inwardly kicked myself for not thinking ahead like she had. How could she ever like someone who was dangerous and took huge risks just being around her? If she was in my car, I probably wouldn't be able to focus on the road, and I would have crashed! She could be killed because of me. No, she would want to be with someone safe; like Edward Cullen. He looked safe, but mysterious. And isn't that what the girls loved in a guy? I should be more mysterious…

In the middle of his thought, something caught his eye and made him lose his train of thought. It was Tyler's van, coming straight at her. I jumped out of my car and tried to sprint over there as fast as I could, but I slipped on the ice and fell on my face. I got back up, ignoring the cold icy snow that was touching my bare skin, and ran over to the scene, only more carefully this time.

_Oh God, is she dead, _I thought to myself as I panicked. When I got a glimpse of Edward holding Bella in his arms, I stopped in my tracks. He had been able to get to her in time. A series of emotions flooded through me all at once. I felt relief that she was safe, anger that I hadn't been able to get to her in time, and jealousy that Edward had. But how had he? Edward was nowhere near her when the van came to crush her to her death. And I didn't see him run up to her either. It all made no sense. How was this possible?

"Don't move," someone instructed.

"Get Tyler out of the van!" someone else shouted. I was shoved aside by the flurry of activity, and I let go of everything. There was no way Bella was going to fall in love with me now. I couldn't get o her in time. I felt like a zombie almost.

It took a lot of people to get the van moved so they could get to Bella and Edward. It was a miracle both of them weren't crushed. I just stood there, feeling useless. There was nothing I could do. Bella was in the hands of the professionals now.

I watched longingly after her as she was put into the ambulance. She was searching the crowd. _For Edward,_ I thought. She looked right past me. I was nobody to her.

I saw everyone getting in their car and following the ambulance to the hospital so I ran back to mine to do the same. There was no way I was going to school while everyone else got to see how Bella was doing. There was so much traffic that I started thinking it would take all day to get to the hospital.

When I did arrive at the hospital, they made me wait in the waiting room with everyone else. I wanted so badly to see how Bella was doing, but now I had to wait for her to come to me. _If that's ever going to happen, _I grumbled inwardly.

I saw Jessica and Eric and decided to wait with them. Jessica, always swooning over me, made me feel better about myself; and I needed an ego boost after this morning. And Eric was no longer a threat. It didn't seem likely that Bella was going to choose Eric over me anyways. Not that she would ever choose me to begin with. If Edward weren't here, then she probably would choose me. I wished that Edward were not the only one from his stupid family without girlfriend. Then he would be off limits to Bella and she would have to settle for me.

Suddenly, Edward gracefully and swiftly opened the doors that probably led to where Bella was now. His face was contorted into angry lines. Was he upset for saving Bella's life?

The asshole! How dare he steal Bella's affection and then throw it aside like it doesn't mean anything? At least that gave me hope. Maybe they were in some kind of fight. Maybe she would give up on Edward and choose me after all. I shot down that thought. If I kept on holding my breath, I would turn blue. Bella would never choose me. Not while Edward still existed.

_So I make Edward _not_ exist, _I chuckled darkly to myself. It was a bad joke but it made me smile anyways.

Next I saw Bella walk out, who looked just as flustered as Edward had been. She glanced over at Jessica, Eric, and me, and looked away quickly. She said something to her dad, and rushed out the door, which him following closely behind her. What was that about?

With the star gone, the waiting room reluctantly started to empty out. No one wanted to go back to school after this exciting day, especially if Bella wasn't going to be at school.

However, it was inevitable. The day was long and treacherous without her. Jessica followed me around more closely which got to be more annoying than flattering. So by the time I got home and was ready to put my head to my pillow, I was ready to punch something. I thought about how nice it would be to punch my newly formed enemy.

That was the first time I dreamed of Edward Cullen.

A/N: okay so I hope you enjoyed that chapter. I had fun writing it. Oh and I hope you noticed the irony I added in there :D anyways, please review! It definitely encourages me to write faster. Thanks!


	5. Ch 4: Rejection

**Disclaimer: No, I do not own Twilight. And some parts of this chapter come directly from Stephenie Meyer's masterpiece. **

**Chapter 4: Rejection**

In my dream it was very dark, and what dim light there was seemed to be radiating from Edward's skin. I couldn't see his face, just his back as he walked away from me, leaving me in blackness. No matter how fast I ran, I couldn't catch up to him; no mater how loud I called, he never turned. He was always faster. He knew that I intended to hurt him so he ran.

Troubled, I woke in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep again for what seemed like a very long time. After that, he was in my dreams nearly every night, but always on the periphery, never within reach. Sometimes Bella was with him, but I could see her face most of the time. Other times he looked like he was taking her against her will.

After Bella's accident, Eric and I almost teamed up. We saw Tyler Crowley follow Bella around obsessively, like a puppy dog. Whenever we passed him in the halls, we gave him the cold was almost like those superhero movies you see. The superhero teams up with the bad guy to fight against the big baddy. I was the superhero of course.

Tyler was almost stalking her; following her between classes, squeezing himself into our lunch table, which was now overly crowded with unwelcome people. What bugged me the most though, was that every time someone asked her about what happened, she made Edward look like a hero. I wasn't the only one who was suspicious. Jessica, Eric, and everyone else always reminded her that they hadn't seen Edward anywhere near her.

She saw Edward as her hero. What if he wasn't the hero? What if he was…the bad guy? I had to make her see that I was on her side. Eric and I were good guy plus bad guy to fight super bad guy Tyler. But what if we all had to team up completely to defeat super duper bad guy Edward?

I wasn't sure whether I was ready to trust Tyler yet but I thought that I was getting a dangerous vibe from that Edward character.

It wasn't difficult to keep an eye on Edward, fortunately. Even though he was just as much involved in the accident as Bella or Tyler, most people were afraid to approach him. Maybe they noticed the dangerous vibe coming from him too. No one let himself or herself be curious about his point of view of what happened. He was always sitting at the Cullens' and the Hales' usual table.

In Biology things were starting to look up; for me at least. She seemed perfectly civil to him, while he blew her off which clenched fists. He looked like he was going to vomit in the very presence of her. I listened carefully as she tried to talk to him respectfully.

"Hello, Edward," she had said pleasantly, which made me frown a little. I turned around slyly to see his reaction, and all he did was nodded! He didn't even look at her when he did so! I had to admit, I definitely liked the obvious coolness between the two of them. After his whole little head nod shindig she stopped speaking to him. Sometimes I would look up at her from across the cafeteria and I would notice her watching him, but in class, she pretended he didn't exist. That totally made me start trying again.

I definitely grew more confident, sitting on the edge of the table to talk to her before Biology class started, ignoring Edward completely, and he did the same back. I'm just glad that I hadn't been the one to save her. Imagine if she started treating me the way she was treating Cullen now?

Even though my days were looking pretty positive after that dangerous day, there was one bad thing that came out of all of it. The snow went away. Which meant I couldn't have my snowball fight I've been trying to have for so long. So to make up for it, I focused on the upcoming beach trip that was now coming up _because_ the snow went away.

And, of course, the girls' choice spring dance. It was coming up and it was going to be the ultimate test. Did Bella really prefer me to Cullen? If she asked me, everything would be confirmed, and I would find the strength to eventually ask her out. I had everything planned out. She asks me to the dance, I play hard to get and use Jessica as an excuse, but say yes anyways, and then I ask her out at the dance. I imagined walking up to Cullen and saying to him, "Hello Edward. You've met my girlfriend haven't you? Bella? Oh right. You were the one who saved her…" A big grin came on his face.

The next day, I thought for sure this was the day Bella would ask me. I had what I would say perfectly rehearsed. But then I saw Jessica shyly approach me. My first reaction was to shrug her off but she seemed like she had something serious to talk to me about. Was Bella hurt? Was Bella not going to be at school that day?

"Mike, I-I was k-kind of wondering…if you want to g-go to the d-dance with me? It's girls' choice.." She bit her lip and smiled timidly at me.

"Oh," was all I could say. I could barely hide the wave of disappointment that flooded me at that moment. This screws up the plan! Jess wasn't supposed to ask me! I was supposed to use her as an excuse! Maybe I could still use this as an advantage though. "I'll have to think about it Jess. I'm not sure what my plans are yet."

Her lip pouted slightly and then she quietly said, "Okay." She turned around and nearly ran across the hall. I felt really bad about it but I was a desperate man. During lunch Jess sat as far away from me as possible, which made me feel even guiltier. I eyed Bella to see if she knew yet. She kept glancing over at me so I wasn't sure. I decided I better talk to her about it in Biology. For the time being I stayed as quiet as possible.

I walked Bella to class, still quiet, thinking about how I was going to approach her once we got inside the classroom. I finally worked up the courage when she sat at her desk and I sat close to her.

"So," I started, staring at my shoes," Jessica asked me to the spring dance."

"That's great," she said enthusiastically. I didn't like that. Did she want me to go with Jessica?

"Well…" I mumbled, looking up at her face and examining her smile to see if it was genuine. "I told her I had to think about it."

"Why would you do that?" she asked me. Ouch. That hurt. I felt blood rush up to my cheeks in embarrassment. Here we go, Mike. You can do this.

"I was wondering if…well, if you might be planning to ask me." She paused for a moment, and I was so desperate to know what was going on in that head of hers.

"Mike, I think you should tell her yes," she said.

"Did you already ask someone?" My eyes involuntarily flickered to Edward for a fraction of a second. I couldn't help it. He was my number one enemy after all.

"No," she assured me. "I'm not going to the dance at all."

"Why not?" I demanded. I was hurt that she wasn't going, but I was also relieved that she wasn't going with anyone else.

"I'm going to Seattle that Saturday."

"Can't you go some other weekend?" Why was she coming up with excuses to get away from me? Did she really hate me that badly?

"Sorry, no," she said. "So you shouldn't make Jess wait any longer – it's rude." That stung a little.

"Yeah, you're right," I mumbled, a little angrily. I turned away so she wouldn't see the expression on my face. That was not expected. I was so sure she had actually liked me this time. Why was it so hard to steal her affection?

It was hard for me to listen to what the teacher was saying. I did, however, notice the awkward silence that came a lot when he asks the class a question and no one could answer because they weren't paying attention. Mr. Banner looked around the room, looking at me, and I tried to make myself look as small as possible. Then he rested his eyes on someone else. I turned around, and sure enough, it was Cullen. Edward was staring at Bella in a curious way and she was sitting there awkwardly.

Mr. Banner probably saw this as a chance to finally get at his best student. "Mr. Cullen?" he called.

It wasn't very long before Edward answered "The Krebs Cycle." He reluctantly looked away from Bella and gazed at the front of the room.

My jaw almost dropped open. How had he done that? There was no way he was paying attention! The teacher looked just as surprised, but tried to hide it by going back to his discussion that no one was listening to. The rest of the hour seemed like it would never pass. When the bell finally did ring, I packed up my binder and textbook slowly, not wanting to leave the room before Bella. I was too humiliated.

But then I heard Cullen's voice and I pretended to be focusing on my backpack zipper to listen in.

"Bella?" He called innocently.

"What? Are you speaking to me again?" She sounded very annoyed, which pleased me. Even if she thought I wasn't good enough to go to the dance with me.

"No, not really," he admitted. Wow. How could she possibly like a jerk like him?

"Then what do you want, Edward?" More annoyance.

"I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely. "I'm being very rude, I know. But it's better this way, really."

"I don't know what you mean."

"It's better if we're not friends. Trust me."

I thought I couldn't stall any longer. It was weird for me to listen into their conversation in the first place. Besides, most of the people were almost out of the room. It would look suspicious if I hung around. Just before the door shut behind me I heard Edward raise his voice saying something that sounded like the word 'regret.' They sounded like they were in a major fight.

I went to Gym thinking about how I was now going to approach Jessica, and what I would say my excuse was for not saying yes right away. I couldn't say to her, "Oh I'm sorry Jess. You weren't my top choice, but since who I wanted to ask me doesn't really even care that I exist, I guess I'll settle for you." I didn't want to kill the poor girl!

We started basketball, which was cool. I was really good at it, and I made sure to steer clear from Bella. Not just because she had so rudely rejected me earlier that day, but also because she was taking people down with her whenever she tripped.

After school ended, Tyler came up to me and asked me if Bella asked anyone.

"Well, she was going to ask me," I started, and then regretted lying, "but she's going to be in Seattle that weekend. I'm going with Jess instead." He looked bummed out.

"Well, I'm going to ask her anyways. We'll see if she was only trying to have an excuse to not go with you." At that he walked away with a huge smirk on his face. A long string of curse words came into my mind at the moment but I was anxious at the same time. I swore that if Bella went to that dance with Tyler I was just going to have to move. That would be _so_ embarrassing.

I watched as Tyler walked towards his parents' used Sentra. Then I turned my gaze over to where Bella's car was parked. I couldn't believe it. Eric was there, most likely asking her too! At least I had been the first to ask her.

He turned away dejectedly with slouched shoulders. Poor guy. Bella was breaking all the hearts today. Then Edward walked in front of her truck, laughing at her with a smirk on his face. She angrily put her car into reverse and backed out, but Edward was faster. He had cut her off, and stopped in the middle of the road.

Oh crap, I thought. This was Tyler's shot. Tyler noticed this opportunity as well, so he pulled out and went right behind Bella's truck. He waved like an idiot but she didn't even acknowledge him. That made me happy. But then, he jumped out of his car, waddled up to her window and tapped it with his finger. He talked to her, using hand gestures.

When he was done, he walked away, with a huge smile on his face still. Had she said yes?

Conveniently, Edward started driving away right after Tyler reached his car. If I found out that she had said yes to him after giving me the Seattle excuse, I was going to be pissed. I decided I would have to give him a call later tonight.

I was about to go to my car, but I spotted Jessica across the parking lot about to get into hers, so I ran to her quickly.

"Hey Jess, wait up!" I yelled. She pretended not to hear me but I saw her glance over. "Jessica!"

She couldn't pretend not to hear that. I was ten feet away from her. She turned around and looked at me with an irritated expression. "What?" she snapped at me.

"Well..er..I thought that my parents were taking me camping the weekend of the dance, but I got that mixed up with a different weekend. So I'm free after all. Do you still want to go?"

Her face lit up but then she collected herself and answered, "I guess. I mean you're lucky. I was about to ask someone else."

"Who?" I tested her.

She thought for a moment. "Tyler, Jeffory, Sean. Lots of guys were on my list." She shrugged.

"Well if you'd rather go with one of them, then I know some other people who would love to go with me." I was playing her game and I was winning.

Her face dropped and then she said almost too anxiously, "No, no. That's okay. I already asked you. It would be rude to ask you and then decide otherwise. I have to go now." She ducked into her car and backed up slowly, looking at me from the rearview mirror as she pulled away.

When I got home I went straight to my room and sulked.

A/N: well, here was another chapter for you! Aren't you proud that I got it in a day after my last one! It's progress for me! Anyways. I can't wait to see what I do for the next chapter. Blood Typing scene!! What a fun chapter! And little jealous Mike will have to cope with Edward taking all the glory. AGAIN. Anyways thanks for reading. Please Review. Seriously, it takes two seconds. Plus, it makes me want to write faster. Thanks!


	6. Ch 5: Blood Type

**Disclaimer: No, I do not own Twilight. And some parts of this chapter come directly from Stephenie Meyer's masterpiece. **

**Chapter 5: Blood Type**

I stirred a little. It seemed like I had been dreaming for a long time. Why was my alarm clock not going off? My eyes fluttered open and I checked the time.

_Crap!_

This is _not_ how I wanted to start off the rest of my day. I put on a random shirt, not really paying attention to what color it was and put some jeans on that I found on the ground. I stumbled out of my room with an angry expression and looked in the pantry for a poptart.

"You're up late, sweetie," My mom commented. She was drinking coffee and sitting cross-legged on the couch.

"My alarm didn't go off this morning," I grumbled and stuffed half a poptart in my mouth.

"Oh it did though. The most annoying thing! You left it running forever so I decided to turn it off. It was driving me crazy!"

I choked on my half-chewed breakfast. "What? What were you thinking?" I asked incredulously. "Seriously, Mom?"

"Sorry, Honey, I thought you left it running on purpose!"

I scowled at her and ran to my car. I cut back a few minutes by driving way over the speed limit. I prayed over and over that Chief Swan wouldn't pull me over. That would be the _last_ thing I needed this morning.

I finally pulled into the parking lot and caught sight of Edward and Bella talking. Bella looked like she couldn't think properly or something and Edward turned abruptly, leaving her in a daze. I snorted in disgust and ran to my next class. This was definitely not my day.

Somehow, even though I was late to class, I managed to beat Bella there. I chose to sit in a different seat today. I just couldn't handle sitting next to her and being tempted to beg her to reconsider. She had made her decision and I had made mine. Jessica wasn't a horrible person. I just hadn't appreciated her. I still would rather go with Bella but I wasn't about to be the asshole either.

"Thank you for joining us, Miss Swan," Mr. Mason said in a disparaging tone. I stifled a chuckle as she walked to her seat, her face full of chagrin. She still looked like she was in a trance, however.

I decided to be a little nicer at the end of class, or maybe it was just because Eric still decided to meet her at the door, and I couldn't let him be the gentleman. I decided everyone deserved second chances and I forgave her for hurting my pride.

As we walked I became more comfortable with her, which relieved me. I decided it wasn't such a bad thing if all we could be was friends. I knew I couldn't keep this attitude forever, but I enjoyed it while it lasted. Anyways, the beach was this weekend and I couldn't help but be excited about that. The weather report for this weekend boosted my spirits as well. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad a day as I thought.

But then lunch happened. It was fine at first. The usual: Bella meets Jessica, they go to the lunch line to buy food, blah blah blah.

I noticed something unusual at first, when I saw Cullen sitting alone. Then I looked at Bella and saw that she wasn't looking at Edward at all, but where he usually sits. She looked so disappointed not to find him there.

Jessica had whispered something in her ear, which made Bella get all red, and now what? She's sitting _alone_ with _him_ talking about God knows what for no reason whatsoever.

What were they friends now? This was unbearable! I studied his face expressions, because all I could see of her was the back of her head. At first I tried to be sly about watching them. I didn't want to give away to anyone that I liked Bella or anything. But then I decided it wasn't that big of a deal because everyone else was staring, so they wouldn't think much of it.

It almost seemed like they were in some kind of argument. I was thinking about whether or not I should go over there and show him how to be respectful. My fists clenched as I thought how pleasant it would be to break Edward's perfect nose.

It seemed as though he knew what I was thinking, because he looked straight at me and chuckled, as if what I was thinking amused him. I glared at him coldly, which only made his smile widen. He turned back to Bella and watched her hands. I wish I could see what was going on!

I hadn't realized that I was involuntarily stretching myself to be able to see more of the scene that I actually fell off the chair.

"I didn't get very much sleep," I grumbled halfheartedly as an excuse. I put my head down over my folded arms and pretended to sleep. That way I could hide my face, which I'm sure was bright red.

Finally, Angela tapped on my shoulder and looked at me with sad eyes. The bell had rung and we needed to get to class.

I glanced at _them_ and was sorry I did. They were still there, talking away like nothing around them was going on. I felt like I was going to be sick. I walked with Angela to class and sat down in my usual seat. Bella walked in late, but Mr. Banner wasn't there yet so she didn't get in trouble. _Damn teacher, _I thought grumpily to myself.

Angela and I stared at her when she went to her seat, and I was not being nice. No more Mr. nice guy.

But Mr. Banner went into the room then, so I couldn't keep staring daggers at Bella anymore. He was juggling a few small cardboard boxes in his arms. He put them down at my table, telling me to start passing them around the class. Reluctantly, I got up.

"Okay, guys, I want you all to take one piece from each box," he said as he produced a pair of rubber gloves from the pocket of his lab jacket and pulled them on. The sharp sound as the gloves snapped into place made me flinch. It sounded like it hurt.

"The first should be an indicator card," he went on, grabbing a white card with four squares marked on it and displaying it. "The second is a four-pronged applicator, and the third is a sterile micro-lancet." He held up a small piece of blue plastic and split it open.

"I'll be coming around with a dropper of water to prepare your cards, so please don't start until I get o you." He started at my table again, carefully putting one drop of water in each of the four squares.

"Then I want you to prick your finger with the lancet…" He grabbed my hand and jabbed the spike into the tip of my middle finger. It stung at first but a perfect drop of blood squeezed its way out and it looked really cool. "Put a small drop of blood on each of the prongs." He demonstrated by squeezing my finger till more blood flowed. "And then apply it to the card," he finished, holding the dripping red card for the rest of the class to see. I thought it all was awesome. I wanted to do it again.

"The Red Cross is having a blood drive in Port Angeles next weekend, so I thought you should all know your blood type. Those of you who aren't eighteen yet will need a parent's permission – I have slips at my desk." This definitely beat having to listen to his long and boring lectures.

"Bella, are you all right?" Mr. Banner asked. I was trying to squeeze more blood out of my middle finger but her name caught my attention. I turned around to see her face. She was definitely not doing so well. She was more pale then usual and she looked faint.

"I already know my blood type, Mr. Banner," she said weakly.

"Are you feeling faint?" he asked her. I thought that first.

"Yes, sir," she muttered.

"Can someone take Bella to the nurse, please?" he called. I jumped up almost instantly. There was no way I was passing up this chance. I walked up to them with a huge grin on my face.

"Can you walk?" Mr. Banner asked.

"Yes," she whispered. I put my arm around her waist and pulled her arm over my shoulder. It was just like heaven. She leaned against me and I let us walk slowly so I could cherish the moment.

"Just let me sit for a minute, please?" she begged. I did not like this plan, but maybe it would give me more time with her. I helped her sit on the edge of the walk. "And whatever you do, keep your hand in your pocket," she warned. I didn't know what she meant at first. My mind automatically thought of something dirty, but then I realized that she was talking about my finger. She hated blood. I looked at her face and almost gasped.

"Wow, you're green, Bella," I said nervously.

"Bella?" a different voice called from the distance. I cringed from its familiarity. "What's wrong… is she hurt?" Cullen was coming closer now and I felt like kicking him in an unfriendly place.

"I think she's fainted. I don't know what happened, she didn't even stick her finger." I couldn't believe he would show up!

"Bella." Edward seemed relieved for some reason. "Can you hear me?" _Of course she can. What, do you think she's deaf?_

"No," she groaned. "Go away." That made me smile a little on the inside; at least until he chuckled.

"I was taking her to the nurse," I said defensively, "but she wouldn't go any farther." I thought that would be enough of a hint for him to leave.

"I'll take her," he said… Apparently not. That made me even more irritated.

"No, I'm supposed to do it," I protested. Then suddenly, he picked her up off the ground and carried her like a princess, walking away like I wasn't even here, despite her protests.

"Hey!" I called, not able to keep up with his long, graceful strides. _Damn, _I thought. _I absolutely loathe him._ I slowly turned around and walked back to class. There was nothing more I could do. It was a hopeless case.

The second I stepped into class, Mr. Banner hurried up to me and pointed at Lee Stephens. "Would you mind escorting Lee to the nurse as well, Mike?" I grinned at him and helped him to the office. This was my chance to get back at Cullen. He couldn't push me away anymore. I opened the door and heard Ms. Cope say, "We've got another one." Bella hopped down to free up the cot. I staggered through the door, supporting Lee and hoping to get a seat next to Bella.

Edward whispered something to Bella really quickly, and they were gone before the door even closed. That pissed me off. What kind of game was he playing? I made sure the nurse could help Lee, and then I left the room in a huff. I saw them sitting down, and I glanced back and forth between them. I stared daggers at Edward and then returned to Bella with a glum expression.

"_You_ look better," I accused.

"Just keep your hand in your pocket," she warned me again.

"It's not bleeding anymore," I muttered. "Are you going back to class?"

"Are you kidding?" She looked at me incredulously. "I'd just have to turn around and come back."

"Yeah, I guess… So are you going this weekend? To the beach?" I flashed another glare towards Edward as I spoke, warning him that he was _not_ welcome.

She sounded a little annoyed when she answered. "Sure, I said I was in."

"We're meeting at my dad's store, at ten." My eyes flickered to Edward again, and I wondered whether I gave out too much information. He better not show up there.

"I'll be there," she promised.

"I'll see you in Gym, then," I said and moved uncertainly toward the door.

"See you," she replied just before the door shut behind me. I went straight to the men's bathroom and washed my hands. All I could think about was Gym. It was my favorite class because it was the only time where Bella relied on me. She was no good at sports, and let me lead our team to victory. I impressed her with my skills as she stumbled around all hopelessly. I like it.

Not only that, but Edward wasn't there to mess everything up. He better not show up at the beach.

I finally went back to class, and had fun stabbing my other fingers with the prong. The guys and I were having a good time smearing our blood all over each other. The girls just stared at us in disgust as they applied band-aids to their new punctures.

Class ended and I hurried to Gym, anxious to see Bella. But when I looked around the gym, she was nowhere in sight.

She said she would be here!

_Figures._

A/N: Wow I sure am updating a lot! You should be so proud :D oooh and this next chapter should be fun too! Little Mike gets to get jealous over Jacob now! Please review, it takes two seconds!


	7. Ch 6: Another Competitor

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight or mike. Some things are taken directly from the book.**

**Chapter 6: Another Competitor**

After Gym, I was in too much of a foul mood to talk to anyone about what happened. Somehow everyone knew about Bella getting sick though. Everyone knew what happened to Bella because everyone paid attention.

Jessica came up to me and asked me about all the details but I just blew her off. She would never leave me alone!

She told me she was more interested in what happened with Bella and Cullen in the cafeteria anyways. So I was off the hook, having no information available to share.

So all I could do was wait for the beach trip to La Push, which surprisingly put me in high spirits. It was enough of a distraction to keep my mind off the blood typing incident.

I still walked her to our usual lunch table the next day with Jessica tagging along as usual. I managed to get everyone excited and animated about the beach day tomorrow. Tomorrow was promised to be sunny, which even made Bella smile a little bit.

And then Lauren had to go ahead and remind me about my current problem. We were walking out of the cafeteria when she half whispered, half snarled some nasty things about Bella.

"I don't know why Bella doesn't just sit with the Cullens from now on." she concluded.

"She's my friend; she sits with us," I whispered back instinctively and defensively.

I didn't let her rude remarks get to me though. I put a smile on and thought of the sun, and before I knew it, I was at my parents' store, waiting for the rest of the crew to be ready to take off to First Beach.

Bella pulled up next to my Suburban, and I waved to her happily. "You came!" I yelled enthusiastically. "and I said it would be sunny today, didn't I?" I walked up to her and she reminded me that she had already promised to come. "We're just waiting for Lee and Samantha…unless you invited someone," I implied.

"Nope," she replied lightly but there was something wrong with her voice. I decided I was just imagining it. I wasn't going to let anyone bother me today.

"Will you ride in my car? It's that or Lee's mom's minivan." I hoped she couldn't see how much I really wanted her to say yes.

"Sure." She sounded pretty indifferent to me. Again! Imagining things! I put on my most sincere smile.

"You can have shotgun," I assured her. She blushed a little. Was that a good thing?

My plan didn't work out as nicely as I would have hoped, because Lee _had_ to bring two extra people. And Bella, trying to be nice as usual, stuck Jessica right in between us. I barely put any effort in hiding my disappointment. But Jessica didn't seem to care so at least I wasn't hurting her feelings.

When we were finally there, I led everyone to a ring of driftwood logs that surrounded a stone ring for the fire. I tried to sit next to Bella but some of the other girls beat me to it. I had come up with a different way to get her attention.

"Have you ever seen a driftwood fire?" I asked, raising one eyebrow. I didn't wait for her response, picking up one of the smaller sticks and lighting it with a cigarette lighter.

"No," she answered curiously as she watched me place it carefully against the driftwood teepee.

"You'll like this then…watch the colors." I smiled more widely as I lit another small piece and placed it next to the first.

"It's blue," she said with a surprised tone.

"The salt does it. Pretty isn't it?" I was still smiling, hoping I had impressed her. I saw a pace between her and Jessica that I thought I could squeeze into. My plan backfired though, when Jessica claimed my attention.

I tried to talk to Bella some too but Jessica wouldn't allow me much freedom. After about a half hour of it, I had enough. I decided to get some of the guys to check out some tidal pools. I was hoping Bella would go too, but even if she didn't, at least I wouldn't have to deal with Jessica anymore.

It made my smile reappear when I heard Bella agree to come once Tyler and Eric sat down again. I dared to let myself hope that she wanted to spend that time with me.

She was a very slow hiker, but I was just glad she came with us. She leaned cautiously over the little ocean ponds while the rest of us were going crazy trying to impress her.

Eventually we got hungry so we headed back to the main group. When we finally got back, there were more people there I couldn't put names to. What were they doing there? I assumed they lived on the reservation.

The biggest guy was introducing his crew to us as I passed out the food and beverages to Bella and the people who didn't have food yet.

The food was delicious, but it was hard for me to enjoy it when I kept catching that one kid stare at Bella. What was with people? Everyone has to be attracted to her!

I mentally scolded myself when I realized how hypocritical I was. I was also guilty. I had to stop myself from laughing out loud.

This was all too much. I needed to get away from the group for a little while. I decided to head up to some shops in the village and Jessica came along too. _Shocker._ Bella didn't follow but that was probably a good thing. I needed to clear my head from all things Bella.

I went into this one shop and there were these cool little figurines all over the place. Jessica pointed out some pieces of jewelry and I showed her some carved wooden wolves. The paint was chipping, which made me wonder what kind of place this was.

We didn't buy anything because we didn't have any money. Instead we checked out some more shops and the wooden wolves showed up everywhere. I told Jessica it was a part of their tribe, but truthfully, I really had no idea.

Finally we made it back to where the others were. I didn't see Bella but I figures she was with Angela or something. I walked over to where Tyler and Eric were talking to the really big guy and all his friends.

One of them wasn't there though. That one kid who was checking out Bella was gone. _Maybe he went home,_ I told myself.

I glanced around me and saw that Angela was talking to Ben. Without Bella. _Bella!_

"Where is Bella?" I asked, trying to hide how worried I was.

"Oh, I think she went off with that one dude," Tyler answered me.

"Jacob," the big one corrected him.

"I should probably go look for her, it looks like it's going to rain soon anyways." I glanced up at the sky anxiously.

"I'll go too, Mike!" Jessica said, which made me jump. Was she standing there that whole time? _Creepy._

"Okay, Jess."

We walked some ways when I spotted two figures sitting and talking. As we walked closer, their heads snapped up and they stared at us.

Relief flooded me. "There you are, Bella."

"Is that your boyfriend?" I heard the kid named Jacob ask her. The thought made me smile but then I remembered that it didn't change the fact that she wasn't my girlfriend.

She whispered something back to him and he smiled. I clenched my teeth together as I walked closer, with Jessica close behind me. They exchanged a few more words before I approached them.

I was able to see Jacob clearly for the first time and it almost made me laugh. He's a youngster! There was no way Bella could fall for this guy. But I had to make sure.

"Where have you been?" Bella looked at me like I was crazy for a second, but she smoothed her features and then responded lightly.

"Jacob was just telling me some local stories. It was really interesting." She smiled at him and he mirrored her, like they were in on some kind of joke.

"Well," I started, trying to remember what my excuse was to come looking for Bella. "We're packing up…it looks like it's going to rain soon."

She looked up and so did I. Even though I had wished for the sun all of last week, I welcomed the rain. It meant I could stop these two from bonding.

"Okay." She stood up from the log she was sitting on. "I'm coming."

"It was nice to see you _again._" Jacob said tauntingly. _Again?_ What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"It really was. Next time Charlie comes down to see Billy, I'll come too," she promised. It made me sick.

"That would be cool." He didn't even try to hide that smile.

"And thanks," she added earnestly. Cullen _and _this Jacob kid? What was with her and toying around with every boy's heart?

**A/N: I hoped you liked this chapter. I enjoyed writing it. Sorry for the long space between the last update but I think it's okay because I gave you all three chapters in a row :D**

**Please review! They're better than seeing Mike's face when he saw Jacob and Bella flirting.**

_**priceless**_


	8. Ch 7: Schemes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Some things are taken directly from the book.**

**Chapter 7: Schemes**

When I arrived home, I was still in a sour mood. The radio had failed to cheer me up as it usually does. I had noticed that my parents' car wasn't in the driveway, and my mom had left a note for me on the table.

_Out for a bite to eat with some friends. Don't wait up!_

_Mom and Dad_

_Great_, I thought to myself. _My folks are more popular than I am. _On further reflection I realized that my last thought was not true. I had so many friends, and if I really wanted someone other than Bella as a girlfriend, I could have one in a heartbeat.

_Someone other than Bella._

I didn't want someone other than Bella. I thought maybe my self-doubts and negative energy came from the rejection.

I grabbed a hot pocket from the freezer and put it in the microwave, heating it up according to the instructions on the wrapper. I ran a hand through my hair and pressed my lips together firmly.

"Maybe if I weren't so hard on myself she would finally be attracted to me." I saw my reflection in the glass on the microwave and chuckled when I realized I was talking to myself. "This girl really _is_ making me go crazy."

When the microwave yelled impatiently at me that my unhealthy dinner was ready to be devoured, I put it on a paper plate and sat down at the table. A 500 piece puzzle lay unfinished next to me and I made a face when I saw my eyes staring up at me. My grandmother thought it would be cute to make a baby picture of mine into a puzzle for my birthday. _That's just creepy._

My mom must have started working on it, which meant she was stressed. She always went into a jigsaw craze when her nerves needed soothing. I always preferred video games.

It didn't matter what she was worried about, even if it was because of the smallest thing. I was going to pamper her this weekend. And that is exactly what I did. I made her favorite breakfast: toast, with little hearts cut out of the middle, which I filled with eggs. We went on a nine mile hike on one of her favorite trails and it was distracting enough from Bella that it was a pleasant day for me as well.

It wasn't until after we finished the puzzle of me, with pudgy cheeks and a toothless grin, that the subject of Bella came up at all. My mom _loves_ it when I talk to her about girls, and I kind of wanted some advice anyways.

"This is probably good for your ego," my mom finally said after she had listened to me rant for a half hour about my crush. She laughed when I replied with a scowl.

"You're such a good boy though, Honey. I don't know why she doesn't like you back."

_Bologna._

"Maybe you're too clingy, or seem too interested. People tend to like what they can't have. Take _yourself_ for an example."

_There we go._

It was a good chat, and by the time we were done and my head hit the pillow, I had a new theory. She seemed to like boys that were forward. Both Jacob and Edward seemed almost smug in the way they talked to her. Or at least, that was my interpretation. I decided that I was going to ask her on a date the next day. When I finally drifted to sleep, I dreamt of Bella and sunshine; my two favorite things at the moment.

I woke up on the other side of the bed with my covers tossed on the floor. It wasn't the cold that woke me up, but the light. When I opened my eyes a little wider, they trailed to the window, the source of the light. _Sunshine!_ I almost leaped out of my bed. This was a very good sign! Half of my dream was already a reality! I washed my face with cold water and dressed in a blue, striped, Rugby shirt and khaki shorts. My mom said she loved this shirt on me because it "complimented my eyes." _Whatever the hell that meant. _If my mother liked it, then maybe Bella would too.

Pancakes waited for me on the table, but the hands that prepared it were gone. They were cold, which told me that I was running late. I didn't want to let this ruin my day. _It would be easier, _I thought, _if she would wake me up when I sleep in too late._ But then I made myself smile, and actually got to school at a decent time.

As if it were a sign, Bella was sitting at a table all by herself, and she looked dazzling in the sunlight. "Bella!" I called to get her attention, and I smiled and waved at her when she looked up at me. She was smiling and waved back, which was perfect; she was in a good mood today!

I suddenly felt so delighted and confident, and I sat down next to her, still grinning like a fool. Her hair was so _shiny_ and _pretty._ I wanted to touch it. _What the hell. Today is my day._

"I never noticed before…your hair has red in it," I said as my fingers caught a loose strand of that glorious hair of hers.

"Only in the sun." I tucked it behind her ear, but when I saw her smile falter, I withdrew my hand. Maybe I shouldn't move too fast.

"Great day, isn't it?" I said, hiding my humiliation.

"My kind of day." Her easy comment made me confident again, and I decided to build up to the moment of asking her out.

"What did you do yesterday?"

"I mostly worked on my essay."

_Shit, I totally forgot about that!_ I hit my forehead with the heel of my hand. "Oh yeah…that's due Thursday, right?"

"Um, Wednesday, I think."

"Wednesday? That's not good…" My smile vanished. "What are you writing yours on?"

"Whether Shakespeare's treatment of the female characters is misogynistic."

_Damn. She put so much thought into this._ I stared at her blankly. "I guess I'll have to get to work on that tonight." I couldn't slack off on my schoolwork, even if Bella did say yes to me. My mom would kill me. Any confidence I still had was completely gone. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to go out," I added quietly.

"Oh." She seemed disappointed that I wouldn't get to go out with her tonight. _Screw the grade!_

"Well, we could go to dinner or something…and I could work on it later," I said, smiling.

"Mike…I don't think that would be the best idea."

I couldn't help but let the disappointment show. She probably wanted to hang out with _Cullen_ instead. I asked, "Why?" though I thought I knew the answer.

"I think," she started, "and if you ever repeat what I'm saying right now I will cheerfully beat you to death, but I think that would hurt Jessica's feelings."

I wasn't expecting that. "Oh," is all I could manage to say as I exhaled.

"It's time for class, and I can't be late again," she said as she gathered her books together.

As we walked to class, I thought about my situation in a new light. Obviously, she wouldn't go out with me. I wasn't sure if it was because she didn't like me, or because she wanted to honor the "girl code" with Jess. I hoped it was the latter, and the rest of the morning I brewed up a plan.

All I would have to do is go out with Jessica. I would act completely obnoxious, or try to get her to have a miserable time. She wouldn't like me anymore, and that would get her out of the way. I knew using Jessica like this was mean, but I was desperate, and she was never going to stop annoying me until she found _me annoying._

When lunch came around, I saved an empty seat for Jessica, and even held the chair out for her like a real gentleman.

After school, I found her easily and asked her if she would be interested in eating dinner with me that night. She couldn't contain her enthusiasm when she accepted. Then after she goes to Port Angeles with Bella, they'll have had time to talk about me. In English I'll casually mention my date with Jess to see her reaction to it. Maybe she'll even be _jealous!_

_Man, some girls really bring out the worst in a guy._

**A/N: Once again, sorry about the lack of updating. I was a little disappointed by the lack of reviews, and it's been hard to motivate myself to continue. Please review, it takes two seconds. The next chapter should be exciting! Mike's date with Jessica! **


	9. Ch 9: She's Kind of Special Too

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mike. It's just funny to get in his head.**

**A/N: Okay guys. So this chapter was originally going to be combined with the next chapter, but it was taking longer than I expected, and I wanted to give it to you as soon as possible. What would have been the second half of this chapter, will be made into a chapter on its own. Thanks!**

**Chapter 8: She's Kind of Special Too.**

I arrived at Jessica's house promptly at six o'clock. I opened the door of my car to go up to her house, and I couldn't figure out why I was so nervous. I mean, I didn't _really_ like her. Maybe I was unsettled about how I would treat her. Or maybe I was worried about what my image would be like after I got her to despise me. Maybe I wouldn't be _"Popular Mike" _anymore.

I tried to swallow those thoughts, because I didn't like how shallow I was. I was _more_ than that.

I finally worked up the courage to walk up the steps to the door. Just by the décor of the front yard, he could tell that Jessica's family was well off for a "Forks" family. Her grass was cleanly cut and very green, but that was how _all_ the lawns looked with all the rain every year. But her house was noticeably different than all of the other lots. Hers was _distinguished,_ and almost more _alive _than other houses I had ever seen. She had _class._

I gulped audibly and knocked on the dark burgundy door. Almost instantly, the door opened, revealing a tasteful walkway, and a smiling Jessica. Her grin was so wide that I could see her freshly brushed teeth. Her eyes sparkled with something more than just the porch light. She was beautiful. Her hair curled about her face in a becoming way and it was so _shiny._ I couldn't help but to smile back at her.

"You ready?" I asked.

She nodded and started towards the passenger side of the car. I opened the door for her and she politely muttered a "thank you." I noticed she was wearing a low cut red blouse with black jeans. She looked _hot._ I wondered to myself how Bella would look in this attire, but quickly pushed it from my mind. I thought I was actually going to enjoy the evening ahead.

As I pulled away from her home, I attempted to switch the radio to something that we both would enjoy. She requested a hip hop station, and I obliged, even though to me, it was just annoying sounds ringing in my ears. I grimaced when she adjusted the volume to her liking, which was so loud, I felt it would make my eardrums pop.

Her head swayed back and forth with the music, which I felt would forever be embedded in my brain. "I like this song," she commented. I smiled at her tightly. When the commercials came on, I took the opportunity to turn down the volume. Then I attempted to fill the near silence with conversation.

"Do you like Mexican food?"

She frowned. "We're not going to Taco Bell, are we?"

"No," I chuckled. "I'm not that bad."

She relaxed a little but her eyes narrowed. "Where are we going then?"

"Um, Chevy's, if that's alright with you."

I was nervous about how she would react. Was that a bad date place?

"Yeah, that's fine. Thanks."

It wasn't enthusiastic but it wasn't her slapping me in the face and telling me I'm a loser, either. I loved Chevy's. I used to eat there all the time for my birthday, and I have a collection of the sombreros they used to bring out. I smiled when I remembered the vanilla ice cream that they served for birthdays.

The commercials came to an end, and Jessica wouldn't settle for quiet music. My frustration with the obnoxious lyrics about sex and drugs grew exponentially as we drove on, so I hardly noticed the car accelerating.

By the time we crossed the city limits, I had barely any patience. My annoyance must have been apparent, for Jessica turned off the radio and said something I wasn't expecting.

"Did I do something to piss you off or something? We can go to Taco Bell if that's it."

I suppressed a laugh when I saw the serious look on her face. I looked at my hands and noticed that I was gripping the steering wheel so tight that my knuckles were white. I made myself relax a little.

"No, Jess, I'm sorry. I just had an unpleasant day," I said.

"Oh."

She didn't buy it. "You look hot," I said, changing the subject.

She smiled then. "Thanks," she said while looking me over. "You do too."

I listened to her talk about all the preparations she made for our date, which was _almost_ worse than the music, until we finally arrived at the restaurant.

I opened the door for her and followed her to the front counter. I informed the man working there that we needed a table for two, and we followed him to an available table. He offered us chips and salsa, and menus.

As we sat there, making small talk, we decided what we wanted to eat. Jessica ordered a small salad and diet coke, while I had the Nacho Grande and Dr. Pepper. I found it amusing how little she ate because she was on a date, and her obvious flirting boosted my self esteem.

I flirted back with her easily, which somewhat surprised me, since I expected my thoughts to be only on Bella. However, I found it easy to almost forget about Bella at this time. Jess was distracting enough that I could actually be myself again: fun, popular, flirty Mike. I wondered if I liked the way I was around Bella more and I decided that mopey, jealous, crazy Mike was not very good either. At least the first guy had friends.

I wasn't following through my plan very well. I was supposed to flip the switch and be rude, annoying, sonofabitch Mike, but I was slowly becoming partial to the idea of simply settling for Jessica.

I smiled at her when I thought this, and her cheeks flooded with color. I could get used to this! So long as Bella wasn't in the same room.

Jessica finished her food last, despite the smaller portion. This didn't surprise me because she took tiny "lady" bites while I was shoveling my food.

She sipped her soft drink slowly, and without sound. I realized that she didn't want the date to end. It was a school night, so I didn't offer her dessert. I paid the bill, which was less expensive than I had previously anticipated, because Jess ate such a light meal. I left a tip that wasn't stingy, but wasn't generous either. I made a conscious effort to open the door for my date on the way out, but when we got outside, it was freezing so I ran to the driver's side of my car and started the heat, forgetting to open the car door for her. I nervously glanced at her to see if her mood turned sour.

She was smiling to herself so I let it go. I saw her looking at the radio, and before she could adjust it, I said, "Let's compromise," and changed the station to one that played a steady rock. I allowed her to turn up the volume, because I actually _liked_ this music.

We didn't speak on the way home. We listened to the music silently, occasionally nodding our heads to the beat. This relaxed me, and I enjoyed this odd bonding with Jessica.

It felt like the ride took less time than it had on our way up to Port Angeles. When we arrived at her home, I felt compelled to go inside. I had a wonderful time and the idea of the night ending was not appealing. However, I just walked her to her door and hugged her. I inhaled the scent of her hair, which was tropical. I debated whether I should kiss her or not. Before I let go of her I decided that I should not, because I didn't want to be disrespectful or too forward. It was just too soon.

"I had fun," she said quietly after the hug ended. She left it at that, and hesitated to go inside. _Maybe she wanted me to kiss her, _I thought, and as I considered that, she said goodbye, and let herself in her house.

"Well, nevermind," I said to myself. "I'm not smooth at all."

I went back to my car, feeling like I was being watched. "How is it already cold again?" I wondered, turning the heat back on. I switched the radio to my favorite jazz station and followed the road that would take me home.

I felt lonely all of a sudden. What scared me was that I longed to be with Bella, not with Jessica, whom I just spent my evening.

This frustrated me. What if I _had_ kissed her? Why was it that I could convince myself that I liked Jessica, and then not even five minutes later, be thinking only of Bella?

I parked my car on the driveway when I finally got home, because the garage was always full. I grumbled to myself, knowing that it would be way too cold in the morning when I had to drive it to school.

Right when I opened the front door to the house, I saw my mom in the front entry way, cornering me with a stern look. I checked my watch. It was only 9:57.

"What?" I said. "It's only ten o'clock."

Her facial features smoothed out into a smirk. "You're not getting away until you tell me about tonight." She winked and I groaned.

"But I'm tired." I faked a yawn and stretched my arms.

"Not buying it. Now spill!"

I told her about the evening. She seemed proud about how I was a gentleman for Jessica. I didn't tell her about the almost kiss or the conflicting drive home. It was just too weird to talk to my mom about that.

Inevitably, she brought up Bella. "So, have you finally gotten over Miss Swan?" She asked.

"Well…" I started, but she cut me off.

"No. That is too unfair to Jessica. If you are going to be dating Jessica, you can't be thinking about another girl!"

"It was only one date, okay?"

"That isn't the point. Make up your mind. I thought you said you had a wonderful time with Jessica."

"I did. But it's weird, Mom. When I'm with Jessica, I hardly ever think of Bella. But any other time, Bella is the only thing I see."

"Honey, you need to figure this out."

"I know. I'm going to be with Jessica, and I'm trying to forget about Bella."

"Good." That was all she said, and I was thankful. She said these things out of love, but it was hard to not look at it as a lecture. I hugged her and got ready for bed, trying to fill my mind with Jessica, but failing. I imagined what Bella had done today, and what it would be like if I had taken her out on a date instead of Jessica.

_I would have kissed her,_ I thought.

**A/N: Thanks for reading!**

**Reviews are better than Mike thinking he would ever have the chance to kiss Bella!**


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